Featured

Inspired by the works of Arthur C. Clarke, J.G. Ballard and Philip K. Dick, Infinite Summer sees Michael Lovett’s NZCA Lines “marry sci-fi futurism to personal intimacies” to produce what must surely be one of the funkiest apocalyptic concept albums of all time. Indeed, also featuring former Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley and drummer Sarah Jones (Hot Chip, New Young Pony Club), the follow-up to 2012’s self-titled debut may center on […]

Named after a term used for trained assassins he heard in a documentary on espionage, Skilled Mechanics sees trip-hop trailblazer Tricky assemble his own killer team for the most collaborative studio effort of his lengthy career. Some of those on board are no stranger to the world of Adrian Thaws, including regular vocalist Francesca Belmonte who lends her sultry tones to the eerie synth-balladry of “We Begin,” drummer Luke Harris […]

As you’d expect from a founding member of studious classical-electro outfit Clean Bandit, British-Ugandan vocalist/rapper Love Ssega certainly isn’t short on brainpower. Born and raised in South London, the 24-year-old graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, then made the brave decision to quit the aforementioned Grammy winners to finish his Ph.D. in laser sensing. Love Ssega (real name Ssegawa-Ssekintu Kiwanuka) is just as cultured as he […]

Judging by all the pre-release talk of shunning EDM, steering dance music back into a proper direction and making a piece of art, you’d expect Steve Angello’s second solo LP, Wild Youth, to be something of a game-changer. So it’s slightly baffling to hear that the Stockholm DJ has delivered the kind of unadventurous, generic and largely forgettable record he appears to be rallying against. Indeed, featuring guest appearances from […]

David Bowie, arguably one of the most influential figures in modern music for the past 40-plus years, died on Sunday, Jan. 10 after a battle with cancer. He was 69. While previous rumors of his death in years past were greatly exaggerated, the news has been confirmed by Bowie’s representatives and his son Duncan Jones (via Twitter). The following statement appears on Bowie’s official Facebook page: “David Bowie died peacefully […]

So after crowning Jamie xx’s “Loud Places” and Bob Moses’ Days Gone By as the greatest single and album of 2015 respectively, we now switch our attention to what we can expect to hear over the next twelve months in the world of dance/electronica. The first big album out of the blocks this year is Moth (Jan 22), the third album from alt-pop duo Chairlift, which judging by its first […]

Kid Rock “Rebel Soul”: Album Review

Atlantic (2012)

As a performing artist, Kid Rock has always been a bit of an anomaly. Mixing genres like they were cocktail ingredients, the end result can be often confusing. His sound is largely a concoction of country, blues and hip-hop. And what do we call it? Rock & roll. Go figure.

At the same time, perhaps unfortunately, Kid Rock’s persona feels also a bit of a caricature, in that it is frequently impossible for some folks to take him too seriously, no matter how seriously he takes himself. Perhaps it’s the genre-dipping, or the cliché persona of the white-trash bad boy, or a combination of the two. Whatever the cause, I almost feel a bit guilty because I feel like I should take him more seriously than I do.

However you view Kid Rock, his new release Rebel Soul appears to be making a solid attempt to clarify who he is as an artist, even ditching producer Rick Rubin to self-produce this record. After a bleak prior effort with his previous album Born Free, Rock has returned to his many-faceted roots and created an album that is at the very least a testament to his diversity and complexity as a performer.

Oh, don’t get me wrong: speaking in terms of genre, this record is all over the board, as usual. You got your rap/hip-hop (“Cucci Galore”, “The Mirror”), your country vibe (“Happy New Year,” “God Save Rock & Roll”—confused, yet?), and your southern rock (“Redneck Paradise”). You can even catch whiffs of lo-fi blues (“3 CATT Boogie”) and Motown in there (“Detroit, Michigan”). In fact, the only thing that feels like a consistent musical thread through the record is Kid Rock’s signature raspy-rock voice—and yet, somehow that seems enough to convince us that he is not a chameleon, that all of these musical styles are actually a part of who he is. Such genre-bending is often ill-advised, but in the case of Kid Rock, it doesn’t feel quite real unless he’s doing it.

Now, as to the caricature part of his persona—unfortunately, Rebel Soul doesn’t do much to eliminate that. The songs themselves are simply too cliché-ridden. Prime examples include: “C’mon, grab your guns, let’s ride / And may your conscience be your guide” (“Let’s Ride”); and “I know you’re thinkin’ I must be crazy / Don’t sweat that small stuff, kiss me baby” (“Happy New Year”). Really? Nothing more imaginative? Kid Rock might be trying to make a case with this record, and maybe not; but if he is, this isn’t helping it any.

The thing is (and herein lies the real paradox)—if you can get past the caricature and the occasional phoned-in lyrics, there is actually a lot of decent music on this record. Honky-tonk tunes like “Redneck Paradise” just beg for line dances to be made for them, and I dare anyone not to physically move to the stomp-clap opening track “Chickens In the Pen.” Lots of songs on this record destined to make it onto party soundtracks—this is music to have a good time to.

And that, perhaps, is the whole point behind Kid Rock the artist, and Rebel Soul in particular. No matter how seriously (or not) you view him as a performer, this music is about having a good time. And chuckling under your breath is part of that good time. Whether you see Kid Rock more as an artist or as a cartoon character—I think he’s accomplished his purpose either way.

3 / 5 stars

Share and Enjoy

About the Author

Tim Ferrar's interest in pop and rock started as a child, listening to Top-40 radio for hours on end while playing air guitar in his bedroom. Eventually air guitar led to electric guitar, and Tim began playing in bands and writing his own songs. With an admitted weakness for "a great hook or a great guitar riff," Tim's musical tastes are broad and varied, ranging from Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga on the pop side to Bon Jovi and Foo Fighters on the rock side- making him the ideal guy to cover our Rock and Pop categories.
By day, Tim is a mild-mannered accountant in Chicago. By night, he rocks out on electric guitar in a cover band in various clubs around town- much to the surprise of some of his clients.